Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 115: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SOFT MONEY. 3 425 your friend and alleged employer turns out to be a thief. I’m going to lock the pair of you up, for the voyage, in the brig. You might have got out of your state- room while you were supposed to be under arrest. I didn’t assign anybody to guard you.” “ T suggest you send a wireless to fXansas City asking my financial standing, instead of Mr. Campbell’s. Please wire to presi- dent Sanford of the Farmers’ and Artisans’ National Bank in Kansas City.” ‘“‘ Y’ve sent enough wireless telegrams. I’m satisfied you are a couple of crooks. Any- way, I have evidence enough to hold you. Stolen property was in your room. If they don’t know your employer in Kansas City, it’s pretty sure they never heard of you.” ‘“ Mr. Campbell is not my. employer. I am paying him one hundred dollars a week to travel with me. It was my suggestion that he act as my boss on this trip. I had a personal reason for not wishing to at- tract attention.” “JT bet you had. It’s a damn’ queer busi- ness,” declared the commander. “Tm merely clearing him of the suspi- cion that he was four-flushing on board this ship.” “‘ If Campbell has no money, all the more reason for his being a thief. I don’t mind telling you I didn’t like the looks of you from the first, and your manner was trucu- lent and insolent. Now I won’t stand any more nonsense from either of you. Purser, put them in the brig.” ‘““ Aw, come, captain, have a heart. Let us stay in our stateroom. We can’t get away. And when you find you are mis- taken about us, you'll have saved your company a damage suit that will worry it a lot.” This was from Campbell who had re- covered his spirits as a result of Rod’s championship. “Don’t talk to me, young man. are too glib.” ‘“ May I suggest that the stateroom will be safe enough for them?” said the purser. T’ll station a man in the corridor and see that they communicate with nobody.” “Have it your own way. You are re- sponsible for them.” You The purser motioned to the youths that the interview was over, but Rod was not through. “Is there any objection to my sending a wireless to the bank?” he demanded. “J don’t care what the references are, I’ve got the goods on you.” “Supposing my bank guarantees the total value of these jewels in return for you not subjecting us to arrest. I have half a million dollars on deposit with them.” Captain Brown’s deméanor underwent a subtle change. Half a million dollars was much more than a hundred thousand pounds. He must not make an error in this matter. Rod saw that he was weaken- ing and he followed it up. ‘““ Hasn’t it occurred to you that the real thief might have hidden those earrings in my room to throw suspicion on Mr. Camp- bell. I understand that about seventy-five thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry was taken. He could spare twenty-five hun- dred for the sake of security. If you turn us over to the authorities charged with the theft, the real thief will leave the ship with the rest of the jewelry. I can prove our financial responsibility and then where are you? You must find all the jewelry before the ship reaches Plymouth.” Captain Brown sat down again. “Mr. McGarry, that’s a pretty good argument. If you can get this bank to guarantee you, as you said, I will not place you under arrest. And we must find the rest of the jewels before the ship docks. You are sure there was nothing else in that stateroom?” He had turned to the purser. “‘ Quite sure,” ‘We've got to make a general search, confound it. Even finding part of the loot in their room is no proof that they stole it. Anybody could have sneaked into the stateroom while they were on deck and hidden those earrings in order to distract suspicion from themselves. Have you enemies on board?” Yesterday morning Rod would have said that he had—Gertrude, but he knew better to-day. But there was a man on board who was not his enemy, but who might be in- terested in using him to save himself. ‘“‘ Captain, there is a man on this ship Eomichbooks (E@)